


Armories and Calloused Hands

by flyboi_writer



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Kissing, M/M, Pining, Trip being a hopeless bi, overuse of british stereotypes, pov switching, quick fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29929977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyboi_writer/pseuds/flyboi_writer
Summary: Lieutenant Malcolm Reed hated Commander Charles Tucker III...So it came as a surprise when he fell in love with him
Relationships: Malcolm Reed/Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	Armories and Calloused Hands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kurama_Akiyama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurama_Akiyama/gifts).



> Uhh hello? So at the time of my posting this I have seen a total of two (2) episodes of Enterprise which means that the likely hood of me getting information wrong is high. Oh well. Anyway I'm loving these two and thought I'd write a little something for them even though I don't know a ton. I might re-write this once I'm done with the series but we'll see!
> 
> This is dedicated to my beta who read this through, almost forced me to look up their ages, and got me into this ship :')
> 
> POV switches are marked by a line

Lieutenant Malcolm Reed hated Commander Charles Tucker III. He hated the way he strutted about the ship taking every movement as an invitation to start up a conversation. He hated his overconfidence and air of superiority. He hated the way he’d waltz into the armory and start fiddling with the torpedoes and then chastise Reed if he took one step too close to the warp core. Commander Tucker was a nuisance and Malcolm hated him.

So it came as a surprise when he fell in love with him.

* * *

Commander Charles Tucker III, Trip to his friends, hated Lieutenant Malcolm Reed. He hated the man’s careful actions and his seemingly endless determination to one-up Trip. He hated how trigger-happy he was- Trip was fully convinced that the weapons tactician would blow up the warp core if he got the chance. He hated his overall air of  _ Britishness _ and his strange habit of brewing tea on top of consoles.

So it came as a surprise when he fell in love with him.

* * *

Malcolm knew that he had a type- one would only need to look at his string of ex-boyfriends and one-night-stands. Quiet, reserved men were the ones who Malcolm usually went for. He also seemed to have a thing for doctors-  _ doctors have good hands _ , he once drunkenly told a friend. Commander Tucker was decidedly none of that. He was loud, abrasive, and, most importantly, his hands were nothing like a doctor’s- all calloused and rough from years spent working at engines and cargo ships.

But despite all his flaws, Malcolm couldn’t help but fall head over heels for him. He wasn’t sure what it was- his humor, his rugged good looks, or even his cocky personality- that made Malcolm smitten. As much as he was thrilled by the prospect of being  _ in love _ he couldn’t help that a small part of him wished that his feelings would just go away.

Especially when it became hard to work.

About a week into their journey, Commander Tucker seemed to develop an annoying habit of randomly waltzing into the armory. He’d strut in and stand in a corner twiddling his thumbs as he stared at a bulkhead. Not only was it frustrating, but Malcolm found that Commander Tucker being only a few steps away was terribly distracting. Eventually, Malcolm gathered the courage to speak to the engineer only to be interrupted by Tucker himself.

“Say, Lieutenant- do ya have a girl back home?” 

* * *

Trip Tucker had a habit of falling in love. His friends affectionately teased him by saying that he sorted every person he met into two categories: sibling or crush. He tried to argue with them but deep down he knew it was true. When he came aboard the  _ Enterprise  _ he subconsciously sorted everyone into the ‘sibling’ category- save for Reed. Trip found himself rather hesitant to admit he was crushing on the man. Though he was two years his senior, Lieutenant Reed was still a  _ lieutenant _ and thus Trip’s subordinate. Eventually, Trip gave in and decided that as long as he didn’t tell the man then there would be no problem.

But then it became hard to focus on his work.

Trip found himself unable to stand still and tinker away at the warp core when he knew that just two decks above him, Reed was standing there realigning the targeting sensors just  _ waiting _ for Trip to walk into the armory and strike up a conversation with him. Finally, Trip gave up on brooding and made his way up to Reed- all the way trying to convince himself that he was doing this for a  _ professional _ matter. 

Once there, however, he realized that he, in fact, did  _ not _ have anything to say to Reed and had to just awkwardly stand in the corner of the room and pretend to be fascinated by the bulkhead. He heard the beeps and clicks of the targeting scanner as he tried to summon up the courage to talk to him. Finally, he took a deep breath and blurted out:

“Say, Lieutenant- do ya have a girl back home?”

The beeping and clicking stopped and Trip turned around to see Reed perched up on the console, staring at him.

“A girl, Commander?” Reed laughed, “Oh no, not really my area.”

Trip could barely contain a smile,

“A boy?”

“No… I had one but he left just before I was assigned to the  _ Enterprise _ .”

He felt bad for the man but he also couldn’t help the little bubble of hope that welled up in his chest.

“Then is there anyone on the  _ Enterprise _ you’re interested in?” He saw a steady blush creep up onto Malcolm’s cheeks, “Ah so there  _ is _ someone! Come on, cough it up, Reed! I know quite a few people, ya know…”

“Oh no, Commander-”

“Call me Trip”

“Oh no Trip, I know he doesn’t- I know he doesn’t feel that way…”

Trip smiled and hooked an arm around Malcolm’s shoulders, hoping he wouldn’t hear how hard his heart was beating.

“And how would ya know if ya didn’t  _ tell _ him! You’ve got nothin’ to fear!”

He heard Malcolm mutter something under his breath before loudly saying,

“I like you and I hope you feel the same.”

Trip clapped him on the shoulder,

“There ya go! Now you’ve just gotta do it to him!”

Malcolm looked down at his feet and shimmied his way out of Trip’s embrace.

“I- I did.”

Trip looked at him funny for a bit before the realization hit him.  _ Oh dear _ \- Malcolm was talking to him, as in talking _ to  _ him-  _ oh dear _ . Trip’s gaze shot up to the ceiling. He was stuck- a sensation Trip didn’t usually feel. On one hand, he longed to tell Malcolm how he felt- to throw himself in the man’s arms- but on the other hand, he was Trip’s subordinate and it wouldn’t be appropriate. But if Malcolm had expressed desire… 

“Oh” was all he was able to say.

“I’ll just- I’ll just go-” Malcolm stuttered, stumbling towards the ladder.

“No, wait!” Trip shouted, reaching his hand out, “Don’t go, I- I feel the same.”

Malcolm stood there for a bit, staring at Trip’s extended arm.

“You- you do?”

“Well yeah, yeah of course I do! I mean how could I not, you’re a great guy and you’re really attractive and I-”

He was cut off by Malcolm launching himself at Trip and pressing a hard kiss on his lips. He was shocked for a moment, unable to process the situation. When he finally  _ did _ catch up, he grabbed Malcolm by the waist and furiously kissed him back.

“Wait a second-” Trip pulled away as Malcolm fingered the top of his collar, “If you don’t want this ya gotta tell me now cause I don’t want ya to do this if it’s just cause I’m your superior officer and-”

Malcolm pressed a finger up against Trip’s lips,

“Shh- I may just be a lieutenant,” he whispered, pulling down Trip’s zipper, “But I won’t take orders from  _ anyone _ .”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


End file.
